What does it mean to be consistent?
In May I meditated more consistently than ever, never missing more than two days in a row. I also almost completely abandoned my journaling practice.
In March, I started running. Since then, I’ve run my first race(!), and my furthest distance since summer camp, 5 miles. Coincidentally, my Yoga practice is nowhere to be found; or at least, it looks less like regular group classes, and more like stretching on my own before or after runs.
I’m consistently exercising and consistently taking care of my mental health, but my methods for doing so are shifting.
No act replaces another; meditation is transformational, but journaling can quickly reveal emotional truths that meditation hasn’t. Running makes me feel so good and strong, but a Yoga class is a spiritual experience that deepens my mind-body connection more profoundly. In other words, I need both running and Yoga, meditation and journaling, not one or the other.
Whoever told us to “make new friends, but keep the old” forgot to mention what happens when you grow up and only have so much time — can we really keep everything that we love?
There are years in which I’d feel shame for falling back on my tried and tested rituals. But now, perhaps due to my second round of The Artist’s Way, I don’t mind my inconsistency: It’s okay to ebb in flow in how we care for ourselves instead of beating ourselves up for not doing everything all at once — healthy eating, consistent sleep, exercise, Yoga and breathwork, meditation, journaling, it’s all a lot!
So as I celebrate the consistency I’ve found recently with running and meditation, I also accept that it’s birthed a new inconsistency, and that’s life: Cycles of change and growth leading us to new peaks from which we can seek balance.
What is just one thing you are doing to take care of yourself this week? Join the conversation below or take a few moments now to reflect on the question on your own.
I’m on the latest episode of ’s wonderful podcast — listen below!
In this great episode, Kailey, Editor-in-Chief of
, and I discuss working in the service industry, pursuing our creative goals, vulnerability & fear, and how it’s all connected.When you're feeling strong enough to be vulnerable, it is the only way you can achieve your dreams as a writer or an artist in any capacity. You have to be vulnerable. You have to share your pain. You have to share your fear. - Me on the pocast, lol
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS RIGHT NOW:
MAD MAX: Like so many others, Mad Max: Fury Road blew my mind when I watched it in 2015 and it quickly became one of my all-time favorite films despite having never seen another Mad Max. To prepare for Furiosa (out now, go see it!), I finally watched the original films, and I also read Blood, Sweat & Chrome: The Wild & True Story of Mad Max: Fury Road which I adored — it took nearly 20 years to make the film and required a massive amount of passion, resilience, and determination from its director. When they finally shot the film, the process included feuding co-stars, studio execs shutting down production, and never-done-before practical stunts. The book also tells a story about how far studios will go to (nearly) ruin their own films out of fear and a lack of trust. I recommend the book, the new film Furiosa, and the below conversation with George Miller on the DGA podcast:
Hollywood Roundtables: The Hollywood Reporter has released its latest series of roundtables, and the discussions are honest and revealing. In one part of the video below, Naomi Watts discusses fertility problems she discovered at 36, going into menopause in her early 40s, and her choice to be open about it all despite fears it would impact her image in Hollywood. Part of being a millennial woman is sitting on this precise of before and after: I remember when women couldn’t speak about periods, menopause, or sexual harassment, when Kate Moss thinness was the beauty standard, when magazines would chastise brand new moms for their baby weight. So despite shifting into a different cultural norm, celebrities speaking so openly about the burdens of womanhood still feels special to me.
All Fours, by Miranda July: I loved Miranda July’s last book, The First Bad Man, and am enjoying her new one, All Fours, as well. Read all about July’s writing process and her relationship to aging, ambition, and more in this great New Yorker profile.
Lastly, please wish a Happy 3rd Birthday to Olive:
That’s all for today! Enjoy your week and see you soon with more recommendations and reflections.
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Happy birthday to your pooch! Love the pic!
Meditation is crucial to my well being. That said, I do need to exercise more.
Yay! Wonderful talking to you! And saw Furiosa last weekend and loved it.